Women and girls fear for their safety in the Philippines, as earthquake aftershocks continue in northern Cebu

Manila, Philippines, December 5, 2025 – As the world leads 16 Days of Action, an annual awareness campaign to prevent violence against women and girls covering the period from November 25 to December 10, a new humanitarian analysis conducted by CARE Philippines reveals a stark truth. In the northern province of Cebu in the Philippines, thousands of women, girls and boys live and sleep outdoors. They have no walls, no lights, and no sense of security they once knew. 'Living without fear' is CARE's focus during the 16-day awareness campaign.

The 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck the region in late September, followed by tens of thousands of aftershocks, forced families to abandon their damaged homes and move to temporary shelters across the municipalities of Danbantayan, Medellin and San Remigio. With darkness, displacement and constant tremors now part of everyday life, women and girls face increased risks of harassment, violence and trauma.

“A world without fear is not just about freedom from violence; it is about having a safe home, dignity, and the ability to sleep at night without being terrorized,” said Digito, CARE Philippines Country Director. “In northern Cebu, this sense of security has been shattered. Women hold their families together – serving as emotional anchors – while they themselves live in fear of the dark, of the ground shaking beneath them. We cannot talk about recovery if women are afraid to close their eyes at night.”

The assessment highlights how the crisis is disproportionately affecting women and girls:

Loss of safe spaces: The destruction of homes, latrines and bathrooms has forced women to use makeshift toilets or shower in public areas with little or no privacy.

Increased safety risks: Women reported feeling unsafe while relieving themselves at night due to poor lighting and the location of temporary toilets.

Restrictions on movement: In San Remigio, the appearance of gaps has restricted movement, with mothers fearing for their and their children's safety as they carry out daily household chores.

Disproportionate burden: While men's livelihoods in agriculture and fishing were disrupted, women shouldered increasing unpaid care duties, managing households in open fields while their health, including recovery from childbirth, was neglected.

“We no longer stay inside the house; we spend most of our time outside,” a woman from Barangay Bajuan, Daanbantayan, shared during a focus group discussion. “We eat, wash clothes, shower and sleep outside because we are too afraid to come back,” she added.

A call for protection-focused humanitarian assistance

These findings reinforce the urgent message of CARE's global Fearless campaign: women and girls should never live in conditions where fear becomes normal.

In the context of Northern Cebu, this means setting priorities:

Well-lit bathrooms and toilets reduce risks at night. Durable shelters help rebuild a sense of safety, privacy and dignity. Dignity kits and menstrual hygiene kits are specially designed for women, girls and boys. Mental health and psychosocial support, including psychosocial first aid, safe spaces for women, girls and boys, caregiver support, and trauma-informed services that address fear, anxiety and distress caused by ongoing aftershocks. Cash assistance to meet self-identified urgent needs, enabling families – especially women – to regain agency and make decisions that support their recovery.

CARE Philippines, through Project SAFER, and its partners in Project ACCESS, are providing cash assistance, hygiene kits and shelter repair support in Cebu. However, more resources are needed to ensure that the unique needs of women, girls and boys – from safe lighting to psychosocial support – are fully met.

“Recovery is not just about rebuilding structures, it is about rebuilding the peace of mind that allows women to live without fear,” Digitto added.

CARE provides this assistance alongside local partners to ensure that our work respects local culture and meets the needs of communities. In Cebu, CARE works with the Central Visayas network of NGOs to provide mental health and psychosocial support. This is part of CARE's broader humanitarian response which includes collaboration with ACCORD Inc, AADC, MINCODE, KAMI, CordisRDS and TABI, along with the 14-member ACCESS project consortium.

Notes to editors:

CARE Philippines conducted the humanitarian analysis, known as Rapid Humanitarian Analysis, through the SAFER and ACCESS projects from October 7 to 14, 2025. CARE Philippines has been working in the country since 1949, focusing on disaster risk reduction, humanitarian response, and equity. Photos and interviews with affected women and CARE spokespersons are available upon request.

For media inquiries, please email [email protected] or contact Marie-Therese L. Norbe, Communications Specialist, CARE Philippines, email: [email protected] or mobile number: +63919 911 7534.

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